Friday Movie Roundup: Ohio Gangsters Edition

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I've yet to see any of the
four opening films this week, which makes evaluating their merits
kind of tough. But I can say that after three months of largely
uninspiring fare we're finally beginning to get some intriguing
movie-house options.

Source Code, which
contributing writer Scott Renshaw seemed to like despite its flaws,
comes courtesy of filmmaker Duncan Jones, who last gave us the
curious, mostly effective space oddity Moon, one of the few
films to fully take advantage of Sam Rockwell's unique talents.
And though tt stern-enzi found it lacking despite its merits, I'm still
interested in checking out Kill the Irishman, a true-life
gangster flick set in Cleveland that features a supporting role from the ever-creepy
Christopher Walken (not to mention Val Kilmer and Vinnie Jones).

I suppose two out of four
ain't bad: Hop and Insidious both look fairly
painful — at least from the admittedly incomplete surface
perspective of each film's trailer and behind-the-scenes pedigree.

Elsewhere,
Cincinnati World
Cinema is back at it, offering two screenings (7:30 April 5
and 6) of The Red
Chapel, an odd documentary about a Danish filmmaker and a
pair of young Danish-Korean “comedians” who travel to North Korea
to get back in touch with their homeland and to perform for an
audience that includes various dignitaries.

The Red Chapel seems
to be a number of things at once: a sometimes intriguing look at
North Korean culture under Kim Jong-Il; a Borat-esque
stunt-doc that leaves everyone involved uncomfortable; and a wholly
confounding endeavor whose true intent is never entirely clear.
Director Mads Brugger's
narration channels Werner Herzog
in both the tenor of his voice and the often poetic words he
employs. But don't be confused: Brugger is no Herzog.

Each screening
takes place at the Carnegie Arts Center (1028 Scott Blvd.,
Covington). Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at door. For more
information, call 513-781-8151.

Opening films:

HOP
— Yet another family-friendly comedy hits the multiplex.
Director Tim Hill (Garfield:
A Tale of Two Kitties and Alvin
and the Chipmunks) mixes animation and live-action in Hop,
a boring ride that follows the Easter Bunny's son, E.B. (voice of Russell
Brand), as he travels to Hollywood to become a drummer in a Rock &
Roll band. The cast includes James Marsden, Hank Azaria, Kaley Cuoco,
Gary Cole and Elizabeth Perkins. (Read full review here.) (Opens
wide today.) — tts (Rated PG.) Grade: D

INSIDIOUS
— Patrick Wilson stars as one half of a married couple (with Rose Byrne) dealing with
a child who might be controlled by evil spirits. Horror aficionado
James Wan (Saw,
Death Sentence)
guides a cast that also includes Barbara Hershey and Ty Simpkins.
Leah Whannell, who wrote the first three Saw
movies, provides the screenplay in a genre excursion that exceeds expectations. (Read full review here.)
(Opens wide today.)
— tts
(Rated PG-13.) Grade: B

KILL
THE IRISHMAN — Writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh
follows up his 2004 multi-hyphenate effort The Punisher by
telling the true story of Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson),
who engaged in an underworld war that nearly ripped apart the city of
Cleveland and led to the eventual crippling of the American crime
syndicate. (Read full-length review here.) (Opens
today at Esquire Theatre.) — tt
stern-enzi (Rated R.) Grade:
C-

SOURCE
CODE — Yes,
there's a certain validity to the pitch-meeting shorthand that would
describe Duncan Jones' science-fiction thriller as "Groundhog
Day
meets Quantum
Leap,”
but
that doesn't detract from what it manages to do right. (Read full
review here.) (Opens
wide today.)
— Scott
Renshaw
(Rated PG-13.) Grade:
B